The Mediator Role of Workplace Spirituality in the Relationship between Religiosity and Job Satisfaction: The Example of Participation Bank Employees

Abstract

Banking and finance, which has an important place in the service sector, is a field of study where job satisfaction is essential. The banking sector has two different structures in our country and the world. The first of these is conventional banking and the other is participation banking. Participation banking is a type of banking that was created by considering the interest sensitivity of the Islamic religion and offering an alternative to customers who do not want to evaluate their investments in the interest-bearing system. It can be said that the customers who prefer the participation bank are generally those who have religious sensitivities and want to make interest-free banking transactions. It is foreseen that this situation is a sensitivity that will arise in bank employees as well. This study deals with the relationship between religiosity and job satisfaction in the participation bank employees and the mediating role of workplace spirituality in this relationship. In addition, the effects of age, gender, working year in the institution and the geographical region of the province where the work is located on job satisfaction and workplace spirituality were also investigated. The scope of the research consists of individuals working in participation banks located in different provinces of Turkey. Sample selection was made in the study. A simple random sampling method was used in sample selection. The research was carried out with 157 participants living in various cities in Turkey and working in different participation banks. A relational screening model was used in the study. This model is a research model that tries to determine the existence and degree of change between two or more variables. In this study, the relationships between religiosity, workplace spirituality and job satisfaction of the sample group are discussed. The independent variables of the study are demographic variables consisting of age, gender, working year in the institution and the region of the province where the study is located, and the variable of religiosity. The dependent variables are workplace spirituality and job satisfaction. Workplace spirituality is also considered a mediating variable. A questionnaire technique was used to collect data. In the research, a questionnaire consisting of a Religiousness Scale, Workplace Spirituality Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale and personal information was applied. According to the results obtained, although men have higher averages than women in job satisfaction and workplace spirituality, no significant difference was found between them. Although it has been observed that workplace spirituality and job satisfaction generally increase with age, this increase is not statistically significant. It has been determined that workplace spirituality and job satisfaction show a U-shaped change according to the working year in the institution, and those with 16-20 years of employment in the institution and those with 0-5 years have significantly higher averages than other groups. There was no significant difference in workplace spirituality and job satisfaction according to the geographical region of the province where the study is located. On the other hand, it was observed that the highest job satisfaction average was among those working in the Central Anatolia Region, and the highest average overall workplace spirituality was among those working in the Southeastern Anatolia Region. In this study, it was determined that the level of religiosity, workplace spirituality and job satisfaction of participating bank employees were high. Job satisfaction, which is the dependent variable of the research, has a positive effect on both religiosity and workplace spirituality. In addition, it was determined that workplace spirituality functions as a full mediator variable in the relationship between religiosity and job satisfaction in this study. Based on the findings of this study, it is possible to make some suggestions. In future studies, the relationships between religiosity, job satisfaction and workplace spirituality in different occupational groups can be discussed. In addition, different mediator variables can be tested in the relationship between religiosity and job satisfaction. Considering the positive effects of religion on both workplace spirituality and job satisfaction, it can be suggested that organizational managers make plans to meet the religious-spiritual needs of the employees and to their lives.